The present invention relates to a flange connection for two hollow elements, especially pipes, in which each element is provided with a flange and in which the flanges are connected to each other by a device constructed to move the flanges in axial direction toward each other, with a deformable sealing element sandwiched between the flanges. The present invention relates also to a method of making the mentioned flange connection.
In a known flange connection of the aforementioned kind the flanges are formed by discs having each a central opening through which the respective pipe ends extend and which flanges are at the periphery of the opening welded to the respective pipes. The disadvantage of this known flange connection is that for each pipe diameter a flange of a corresponding opening diameter must be manufactured and held in storage. Usually there are even pipes with flanges provided thereon held in storage. Furthermore, the opening in each flange has to correspond to the cross-section of the pipe so that for pipes with circular cross-section different flanges are necessary than for pipes with for instance square cross-section.
It is also known to form the flanges of the aforementioned kind not only as cast, forged or stamped members, but to form these flanges from profiled sections which are bent and welded to each other at adjacent ends so as to form annular members with an inner surface fitted to the outer surface of the elements which are to be fluid-tightly connected to each other and such flanges are especially used for the fluid-tight connection of boiler elements or the like.